J&K: 9YOs among 144 detained illegally since Aug 5

SRINAGAR: Though the Jammu and Kashmir administration is not illegally detaining any minor, it’s holding 144 juveniles under 18 years of age, according to a report submitted by the J&K Juvenile Justice Committee to the Supreme Court.

The submission by the four-member committee, headed by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, has quoted the J&K Director General of Police’s (DGP) report.

“The state machinery has been constantly upholding the rule of law and not a single juvenile in conflict with law has been illegally detained,” read the police report.

As per the police report, 144 juveniles, including children aged 9 and 11, were arrested since August 5, after imposition of restrictions following abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to J&K.

The report said these juveniles  had been picked up by police between August 5 and September 23 this year were detained under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and kept at observation homes.

86 of these children were picked-up under Preventive Detention provisions of the Criminal procedure Code and the remaining were arrested under allegations of rioting, stone-pelting, causing damage to public property, 

The top court had sought report from the juvenile committee while hearing a petition by child right activists – Enakshi Ganguly and Professor Shanta Sinha – pertaining to the detention of children in J&K.